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May 2014

POPLARVILLE - Students in the second graduating class of the Honors Institute at Pearl River Community College received medallions in a ceremony Thursday, May 1, in Poplarville. The Honors Institute gives intellectually-gifted students the benefits of small, specialized classes along with field trips and an internship partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency at Stennis Space Center. Dr. Stephen Black directs the institute. Fourteen Honors Institute students at the Forrest County Center and the Poplarville campus will be graduating on May 14. “I was really shy,” said Sonya Conerly, a Forrest County Agricultural High School graduate. “I didn’t feel like my opinion mattered. The small classes helped me find my voice and that’s an incredible thing.” Dr. William Lewis, PRCC president, told the students that they have helped make the Honors Institute a greater success than envisioned. “When we began this effort a couple years ago, I’ll tell you we had a selfish interest - we thought it would help us attract some special students,” Lewis said. “We have taken some giant steps to make this a reality. We hope that you have been served well.” Lewis and graduate Trevor Creighton of Hattiesburg praised the faculty who teach Honors courses. “What makes our Honors Institute so exceptional is the instructors,” Creighton said. “It is the faculty who labor beyond expectations.” The small classes provide an enhanced setting for learning, said graduate Chelsea Gascho of Picayune. “The thing I value most about the institute is the environment, being surrounded by people who value learning as much as I do,” she said. In addition to Conerly, Creighton and Gascho, graduates are Sarah Krock and Stephen Perry, both of Hattiesburg; D’Shanal W. Fowler and Nigel H. Simmons, both of Picayune; Marcus R. Petty and Shassidy L. Ramshur, both of Columbia; Hollie A. Chester of Lumberton, Natalee Baggett Dukes of Sumrall, Branden D. Edenfield of Diamondhead, Rachel C. Fowler of Purvis and Sarah A. Silver of Perkinston.

Pearl River Community College awarded medallions to Honors Institute graduates on Thursday, May 1. They are, front from left, Nigel H. Simmons of Picayune, Shassidy L. Ramshur of Columbia, Chelsea E. Gascho of Picayune, Hollie A. Chester of Lumberton, Sarah A. Silver of Perkinston, Sonya Conerly of Hattiesburg; back row, Marcus R. Petty of Columbia, Stephen Perry, Trevor Creighton and Sarah Krock, all of Hattiesburg; and Brandon D. Edenfield of Diamondhed. Not pictured are Natalee Baggett Dukes of Sumrall, D’Shanal W. Fowler of Picayune and Rachel C. Fowler of Purvis.

Pearl River Community College will offer two workforce training classes in May.Ten-hour OSHA training will meet from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, May 12, through Thursday, May15, at the Lowery Woodall Advanced Technology Center in Hattiesburg.Forklift training will meet from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, May 16, on the Poplarville campus.Fee for each course is $25.To register or for more information, contact Audrey Smith at (601) 554-4646.

Former Pearl River Community College football great Doug Daniels was inducted into the Mississippi Community and Junior College Sports Hall of Fame during ceremonies on April 29 in Jackson. Daniels, 81, who lives in Poplarville with his wife, Phyllis, was one of 15 inductees into the class. Daniels was a standout football player at PRCC from 1950-52 following an outstanding high school career at Poplarville High. “This award means everything to me,” said Daniels. “Pearl River College has been in my life since I was a toddler. I used to play football on Sunday afternoons on the campus until I was old enough to play varsity ball. The school has always been a part of my life.” As a 17-year-old PRCC freshman in 1950, Daniels started as a halfback and then played the balance of the year at defensive safety. He led the defense with six interceptions in six games, returned punts and kicked PATs. When Daniels was a sophomore, late coach Dobie Holden, a Mississippi Community and Junior College Sports Hall of Fame inductee, moved him to quarterback. One of his best passing games was four touchdown passes in a 47-0 win at East Mississippi. He also handled all the punting and kicking duties. Daniels, a PRCC Sports Hall of Fame inductee, was named to the All-State first team as the quarterback. He also received the PRCC J. J. Holcomb Outstanding Athlete Award. “This is one of the great honors an athlete could have,” said Daniels. “I’m so humbled by the selection.” Daniels was recruited by Tulane University, the University of Southern Mississippi, and Southeastern Louisiana University. He chose Southeastern and alternated at quarterback, halfback, and safety on defense. Southeastern won the Gulf States Conference co-championship both years he played at SLU. In 1954, after receiving his mathematics degree, he joined the Army. Doug and his wife, Phyllis, who is a 36-year PRCC business instructor retiree, have been married for 47 years and have three children, Darla (David), Dana (Kevin), and Bryan (Laura), and 13 grandchildren.

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Former Pearl River Community College football great Doug Daniels receives his Mississippi Community and Junior College Sports Hall of Fame award from PRCC President William Lewis.

At first glance, you might think summer semester is an oxymoron of sorts. But there are numerous reasons taking classes during summer semester is incredible beneficial. Here are just five.

Jump ahead and graduate earlier.It seems like a great deal, getting some of the credits that you need out of the way early. When you take a few classes ahead of time, it will open up your schedule more and this will give you time for other studies. This also works on the opposite side of things as well. If you're doing bad in a college class and have to drop it for that semester you are given the chance to take a class in place of that or similar to it, during the summer courses. This will get you right back on track to graduating, and being successful with your college career.

You still get a summer.When taking a summer class at your college the semester is shorter than the fall semester. This makes time fly by, before you know it you`ll be at the end of your class and still have a little part of your summer left as your break before you go to the fall semester. On top of that, because you will be taking on a smaller course load, you’ll be leaving plenty of time for fun in the sun. You really don`t lose a summer when it comes down to it.

The campus is much quieter.When going to college in the summer, you will find that not as many students are attending, leaving the whole campus quiet and less busy. This also helps for the upcoming fall semester you can get use to the campus before most of the new students come during the fall semester.

Finding Parking is easyAt PRCC we strive to make parking easy, but in the fall and spring semesters it does get a little crowed. Well, in the summer semester things are less busy and more relaxed. Finding a parking spot becomes an easy process during the summer semester and doesn’t love parking on the front row.

Classes are more relaxed.Because most of the classes are smaller, you actually get more attention for those hard classes. The atmosphere in the summer semesters are a lot more laid back.

When you think about it, summer semester provides a great opportunity for students to get ahead in their coursework with better focus and increased attention from their professors. It is important to recognize that summer classes are not for everyone, and their value is largely determined by personal preference and learning style.

POPLARVILLE - A Pearl River Community College student returned home from the National Collegiate DECA conference with a first place award. Josh Carlan, 20, of Leetown was part of a four-person team that won the National Management Institute Award. He was teamed with three other students - none of whom knew each other previously - to spend two days on a project. “Part of the objective is to learn to work together with a limited amount of time,” he said. “We had to create a social media platform for a famous hip-hop clothing store.” His team competed against five or six other groups and worked from about 9 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m. both days and got together again at night. “I got along well with all the people in my group,” Carlan said. “The only challenge, per se, was we had to create our presentation and a three-page paper in two days. The challenge was the amount of time we had.” A Wildcat cheerleader, Carlan will be back on the PRCC campus next year and plans to earn a double degree in marketing management and a health-related field. While going to school, he holds down a job at Koenig Stainless Steel in Kiln. “As Josh’s instructor and advisor, I am so proud of this accomplishment,” said marketing management instructor Delana Harris, DECA advisor. “This is PRCC’s highest win at the national level in Collegiate DECA and is a great honor for Josh and our institution.” Carlan placed first in sports and entertainment marketing at the state competition held Feb. 27-28 in Gulfport. Taylor Walker and Brooke Fulcher, both of Picayune, placed first in the state in the business ethics competition. They competed nationally but did not place. The national convention was held April 22-27 in Washington, D.C.

Pearl River Community College's Collegiate DECA state winners are, from left, Taylor Walker of Picayune, Josh Carlan of Leetown, who won a national first place award; Brooke Fulcher of Picayune and their adivsor, marketing management instructor Delana Harris of Hattiesburg

Dr. Eric Clark will be the speaker for Pearl River Community College’s graduation ceremony at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 14, at the Forrest County Multi Purpose Center in Hattiesburg.Clark is executive director of the Mississippi Community College Board.Approximately 475 students are expected to take part in the annual ceremony.

Graduates of the Pearl River Community College associate degree nursing program received their pins during a ceremony Monday, May 12, at the Brownstone Center for the Arts in Poplarville. They are, front row from left, Kelly Dos Ramos of Carriere, Whitney Daughdrill of Picayune, Marquillie Decuire and Jessica Breakfield, both of Columbia; Ashley Breeland of Carriere, Brandi Britt of Picayune, Jessica Broom of Poplarville, LaToya Bryant of Hattiesburg, Morgan Buchanan of Foxworth, Jessica Burgess of Hattiesburg, Delorean Calloway of Picayune, Stephanie Cavendish of Poplarville, Erin Couey of Perkinston, Coy Clayton of Poplarville, Brittany Cuevas of Perkinston, Angela Cutrer of Bogalusa, La.; second row, Bradley Bark and Selena Blackwell, both of Lumberton; Lindsay Dietsch and Hannah Discon, both of Picayune, Amanda Rawls of Sumrall, Ana Gallardo of Bogalusa, Pamela Graves of Carriere, Karla Hopstein of Sumrall, Talecia Janet of Picayune, Kaleb Killens of Poplarville, Danielle Klimczak of Hattiesburg, Ashlee Ladner of Poplarville, Paula Lee of Carriere, Ashleigh Malone of Picayune; third row, Wesley Maxwell of Columbus, Gavin Mayo and Destiney Morgan, both of Poplarville, Chad Raffo of Picayune, Suzanne Fortenberry of Hattiesburg, Jude Restivo and Erica Rickman, both of Carriere; Tanisha Rivers of Laurel, Jocelyn Robinson of Purvis, Heather Rush of Carriere, Bobbi Ann Saucier of Poplarville, Heather Shows of Hattiesburg, Laken Speights of Columbia, Megan Speights of Carriere, Sarah Wage of Hattiesburg and Jamie Wambsgans of Pass Christian. Not pictured is Haley Louise Blanchet of Poplarville. PRCC Public Relations photo

Outstanding associate degree nursing students at Pearl River Community College were inducted into the Beta Mu chapter of Alpha Delta Nu national honor society on Friday, May 9, in a ceremony at Malone Chapel. They are, front row from left, Laura Ashley Breeland of Carriere, Danielle Marie Klimczak of Hattiesburg, Jessica Lee Breakfield of Columbia, Brittany Renee Cuevas of Perkinston, Amanda Marie Rawls of Sumrall, Laken Michelle Speights of Columbia, Jamie Teil Wambsgans of Pass Christian, Angela Joyce Cutrer of Bogalusa, La.; back row, Ana Melissa Gallardo of Bogalusa; Karla Jean Hopstein of Sumrall, Jessica LeAnn Broom of Poplarville, LaToya Nicole Bryant of Hattiesburg, Destiney Marie Morgan, Kaleb McKenzie Killens and Clayton David Coy, all of Poplarville; and Suzanne Nicole Fortenberry of Hattiesburg. Not pictured is Haley Louise Blanchet of Poplarville, who gave birth to a daughter the day of the ceremony.PRCC Public Relations photo

Rosalyn Howard, executive director of the Mississippi Nurses Foundation, presents a certificate to Clayton Coy of Poplarville in recognition of his receipt of the foundation's $1,000 scholarship for 2013-14. Howard spoke and made the presentation during the associate degree nursing pinning ceremony on Monday, May 12, at Pearl River Community College.PRCC Public Relations photo

HATTIESBURG - Rain fell outside and a few tears of joy fell inside the Forrest County Multi Purpose Center Wednesday when Pearl River Community College held graduation.Approximately 475 students took part in the annual rite, receiving their diplomas from PRCC President Dr. William Lewis. The diplomas symbolize the knowledge and skill to be successful in the workplace or in furthering their education, Lewis said.“Please remember that education is a lifelong process,” he said. “We wish for you the best life has to offer.”Almost 1,000 students have completed the requirements for an associate in arts degree, an associate in applied science degree or a certificate in proficiency in the year since the 2013 commencement ceremony.Dr. Eric Clark, executive director of the Mississippi Community College Board, reminded the graduates and their families not only of the importance of education but also encouraged them to be good people.“I remember when I was taught the Golden Rule,” Clark said. “I was 5 years old and I remember a light bulb going off and thinking, ‘Now that’s a good idea’.”Like Lewis, Clark stressed the need to make learning a lifelong habit with an additional admonition.“In my opinion, it’s even more important to be a good person,” he said.The graduates included 14 Honors Institute students, the second class to complete the program for academically-gifted students. In addition to diplomas, they received Honors Institute certificates.Many of the graduates, like Lynell Powell of Purvis and Sarah Gibson of Petal, will continue their education. Both will attend William Carey University.Mitchell Tadlock of Raleigh, who completed the electrical technology program, already signed an employment contract with Ingalls Shipbuilding. But a torn knee ligament means he faces surgery and a delay in going to work.“They said to call when I can work,” Tadlock said.For Priscilla Wellman of Slidell, La., formerly of Picayune, graduation was a day of mixed emotions. She attached glittery gold letters to her cap, reading “This is for you, Daddy, a tribute to her late father, James Nelson, who died when she was three years old.“I’m the first one in my family to graduate from college,” she said as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. On hand to witness the milestone were her mother, Susan Wellman of Robertsdale, Ala., siblings, and her aunt, Karen Wellman Warner of Pinellas Park, Fla.Priscilla Wellman hopes to further her education by enrolling in PRCC’s medical radiologic program at the Forrest County Center.

Mitchell Tadlock of Raleigh watches his cap fly after graduation from Pearl River Community College Wednesday at the Forrest County Mutli Purpose Center. Tadlock didn't let upcoming surgery for a knee injury prevent him from receiving his diploma.PRCC Public Relations photoSarah Gibson of Petal helps Lynell Powell of Purvis with her cap before Pearl River Community College graduation Wednesday at the Forrest County Multi Purpose Center in Hattiesburg. Both are members of Phi Theta Kappa international honor society and will attend William Carey University next year.PRCC Public Relations photoChelsea Gascho of Picayune receives her Honors Institute certificate from Dr. Stephen Black, institute director, during Pearl River Community College graduatuion Wednesday at the Forrest County Multi Purpose Center in Hattiesburg. Looking on are Dr. Eric Clark, exeuctive director of the Mississippi Community College Board, and Frank Ladner of Bay St. Louis, a member of the PRCC Board of Trustees.PRCC Public Relations photo

HATTIESBURG - Seventeen graduates of the Radiologic Technology program at Pearl River Community College’s Forrest County Center received pins May 9 at the Lowery A. Woodall Advanced Technology Center in a ceremony marking the end of their two years of study. They included from left: Front row - Clinical Coordinator Hope Husband, Adrienne Paige Bennett of Hattiesburg, Hailey Fischer of Poplarville, Kelsey Cooper of Columbia and Program Director David Armstrong; second row – Elizabeth Warren of Petal, Hayley Byrd of Eatonville, and Victoria Cox of Columbia; third row – Aimee Moore of Wiggins, Lindsey Corey of Leakesville and Amber Goss of Picayune; fourth row – Candice Stinson of Richton, Katie Stringer and Sarah Anthony of Columbia; fifth row – Pat Peterson of Sumrall, Chris Guy of Hattiesburg and Barry Aucoin of Hillsdale; top row – Keith Martin of Picayune and Andrew Stringer of Columbia.

POPLARVILLE - Applications are being accepted by Student Support Services at Pearl River Community College for the seventh annual Summer Bridge to College Program, also known as START. The Summer Bridge Program, which runs from June 26 to July 24, allows students eligible for Student Support Services to earn up to 9 college credits while learning skills to help them be successful in community college. The program meets from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The primary criteria for Student Support Services participation is the need for academic support, based on ACT scores, grade point average in high school, graduation from a GED program or being a non-traditional student who has been out of school for more than five years. Participants must also meet at least one of the following criteria: low-income, have a documented disability or neither parent graduated from a four-year college with a degree. Students accepted for the program pay no tuition and are required to apply for a federal Pell Grant (FASFA) to possibly cover the cost of books, fees, dormitory room, etc. To be considered for the Summer Bridge Program, students must complete a two-step process: (1) Submit a signed admissions application to the PRCC admissions office that includes an official high school transcript or GED test scores, along with ACT scores. (2) Mail a completed Summer Bridge Program application to Georgia Field, Student Support Services, P.O. Box 5118, Poplarville, MS 39470 or fax the application to 601-403-1042. To request a Summer Bridge Program application, contact Georgia Field, Summer Bridge Program Coordinator, at 601-403-1469 or Cindy Tanguis at 601-403-1285.